SYMI TRAVEL GUIDE

SYMI > HISTORY

HISTORY

Symi has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Homer reports that the island participated in the war against Troy with king Nireas.

The first inhabitants are reported to have been the Kares and later the Dorians. Symi always belonged to Rhodes with a small interruption during the 5th B.C. when it belonged to Athens.

In history it has followed the fate of the Dodecanese islands. The Romans occupied it and later on it became part of the Byzantine Empire.

In 1309 the Knights of Saint John conquered the island and a period of prosperity began. Symi then developed in shipping, trade, sponge diving and arts creating a special culture.

In 1522 Turkish occupation arrived but its residents managed to ensure some tax and trade privileges. The island’s financial robustness continued as they could make their own ships and rule the Aegean Sea.

Participation in the Revolution of 1821 resulted in the abolition of these privileges. In 1912 the Italians conquered the island. It is during this period that Symi starts to decline. In World War Two a large part of Symi’s population emmigrated in search of better living conditions.

In March 1948, in Symi, the Protocol of Incorporation was signed and all the Dodecanese islands officially became part of Greece.